Nandhitha Ramesh’s fashion journey started when she was very young. “My mother was my biggest inspiration. Even when we were little kids, we were always dressed very well. Every summer, she used to put fabrics together and get clothes tailored. When I was a teenager, I did the same. I always wanted to study fashion, but I got into the corporate world after doing my MBA,” she says.
She soon discovered that she didn’t like it at all. That sparked her decision to follow her passion, and she started Turquoise Design Studio in 2011, working on bespoke clothing. “I had never studied fashion as such, so last year, I went to London College of Fashion for a six-week course, as I wanted to know the nuances of designing. I came back and wanted to start my own line, and that’s how Merasal was born.” The fledgling design label will get its moment in the spotlight at the India Runway Week to be held in New Delhi this weekend. The debut collection, Varanam Aayiram, will be featured in the Budding Designer category. “Merasal is a ready-to-wear line, so I’m looking at retailing it pan-India. A lot of retailers are going to be there, so I am hoping it will take off well.” While most of the clothes are Indo-Western, there are a few saris as well. “But they are very contemporary with bright colours and bold designs. I’ve used a lot of linen, silk and cotton, but going forward, I will be using easy, washable, friendly fabrics. Like something someone can wear for lunch, as well as an evening party,” she explains. The clothes can be altered to fit up to size 12 or 14, and the price range starts from Rs. 10,000.
“I really like Manish Arora because I think vibrant like him; and Sabyasachi, because of where he has come from to where he is now. I have never been inspired by the West when it comes to fashion, except for the cuts. But when I was in London, I went to Savage Beauty at the Victoria and Albert Museum; it’s a retrospective of the career of Alexander McQueen. I was taken aback by the pieces on display. That was really my inspiration to come back and start something on my own. In a way, McQueen pushed me to go beyond boundaries and do something different,” says Nandhitha.
While she designs a lot for her family, she adds, “I would like to say that I have such a loyal customer base that keeps coming back to me for more, and I think that has been my biggest boost. They have been around for so long, and that makes them my family as well.”
Merasal is available at Turquoise Design Studio L 24/2, 26th Cross Street, Besant Nagar.
